Australian Greens

When is “planning” the new term for false advertising.

The frustrated residents of Grovedale, adjacent to the Armstrong Creek development, must be wondering about the integrity of political representation. How does Andrew Katos, City of Greater Geelong councillor and the Liberal Party candidate for the seat of South Barwon pass planning approvals for development that will clearly impact local residents, and then blend into the crowd of outrage when these same residents discover what the real “plan” is? (see Source 1)

They must also be frustrated whenMichael Crutchfield, Labor Party Member for South Barwon, continues to avoid residents' legitimate concerns about this new ring road, instead choosing to engage in personal attacks against Andrew Katos. (See Source 2) Mr Crutchfield claims that the details relating to section 4C should have been obvious in freely available information. Somehow a 4 or possibly 6 lane highway, with 5 sets of traffic lights remained hidden in the Armstrong Creek Urban Growth Plan, which residents could not be reasonably expected to interpret from the dotted line across a “plan”.

Paul Westcott from the local Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has updated the Australian Greens on a few other matters on the public transport “plan” for Armstrong Creek:

• Functional public transport is not part of the initial “residential experience”
• There is no timetable for the creation of public transport infrastructure
• The 2500 space car park at Armstrong Creek railway station means the developers can scrap the light rail although this will run up against the major problem that, with a single track south of Geelong, a new Armstrong Creek station cannot service any more than the current trains than at present can be sent down to Marshall or beyond
• The proposed regional centre at Horseshoe Bend Rd is unlikely ever to be served by a railway station as originally proposed.

Consistent with the overall green wash approach, any commitments to good public transport have disappeared. What happened to the real attempts to change travel behaviours?

Expert evidence given at the original Armstrong Creek (Urban Growth Plan) hearings found that increased traffic volumes on local roads would be from 2,000-24,000 cars/day. Given all the evidence points toward this area being another car-dependent urban sprawl (including 6-lane link road, i.e. a 'highway'), the upper estimates are likely to be the most accurate.

The Greens think this is a significant community concern. State MPs will be asked to move to disallow the planning amendment necessary to establish the road, the same process as requested in regards to the Barwon Heads Bridge. 

The Australian Greens will be supporting the frustrated residents of Grovedale to build the momentum towards open, transparent and due process in community planning at all levels of government. There is no doubt that there are someinnovative measures in the original Urban Growth Plan for Armstrong Creek.  But where the reality is pointing to a continuing profit-drawn urban sprawl and a green wash, we call on the media to join the protest.

Mike Lawrence

Australian Greens candidate for the seat of Corangamite

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